tired after long commute yesterday

[jrenaut]

That’s a pretty significant increase to your daily commute. Don’t blame you for being tired.

Are you able to add a few extra miles here and there to your commute to work up to adding 15? I’ve seen numbers posted here somewhere as to what’s a healthy percentage increase in a given week, and if you’re doing 125 a week and added 15 today, that’s probably over the recommended number.

[consularrider]

@maverick 26417 wrote:

yesterday started early (which also meant it was nice and cool out), and ended late. i normally commute 25 miles round trip, but rode close to 40 miles yesterday (mind you, i have a pedal assist system on my bike).

today, i’m feeling really tired. i don’t know if it’s something else, or if i just pushed myself too hard yesterday. but i need to be able to handle a little extra riding on days when i need to run errands or go visit someone.

Other than the early start, that sort of resembles my day yesterday. That said, once I hit work, I always feel tired. That’s never a problem when I’m on the bike.

[Mikey]

We’ve all been there, your milage will get better with practice. Make sure you are properly hydrated, I’m fairly used to 40-50 mile commuting days but if I don’t have enough water even 15 feels too far. Stretching properly before you head out can help, so can a couple ibuprophen to keep swelling and inflamation at bay. When it’s really hot it’s okay to take it easy and slow down. Lastly, don’t get discouraged, soreness and stiffness is a badge of courage.

[maverick]

thanks for the helpful words and supporting thoughts folks!

most days, it’s bike to work and bike back. i can certainly add to that to help build up my endurance.

i was visiting my aunt and uncle yesterday after work, and was getting sleepy before i left there place to ride back home (about 15 miles). as consularrider mentioned, i also felt great once i was riding!

i carry a platypus in a pannier, with an extension tube connected to it. for the morning commute, i forgot to clip the tube to my shirt, and the tube was dragging, with the bite valve touching the chain. fortunately, i had a green smoothie in my bag, and hydrated with that while i was riding to work in the morning. and i was able to get to the bike lane in reston town center once i got to work and buy a replacement bite valve. i also drank plenty of water once i got to work. i probably drank 3+ liters of water over the course of the day.

i’m drinking a green smoothie now (spinach, kale, bananas, green grapes, water, walnuts, flax seed). it’s kind of like drinking a salad – combine greens, fruits, nuts, and seeds of your choice, with water!

[rcannon100]

And review your diet. Pushing your body hard means good diet. Electrolyte and sugar replacement. Protein. (lots of juice and tofu!!) And, um, oh yeah -> sleep

[maverick]

@rcannon100 26428 wrote:

And review your diet. Pushing your body hard means good diet. Electrolyte and sugar replacement. Protein. (lots of juice and tofu!!) And, um, oh yeah -> sleep

thanks rcannon100! i need to get some guidance on how much and what i should be eating! i’m not shy about eating when i’m hungry – but i may not be eating the right stuff.

thinking back to yesterday, a banana in the morning, a green smoothie during the commute, a granola bar once i got to work, a bowl and chips at chipotle for lunch (no rice, lots of black beans, lots of pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole, lettuce), a vegan chocolate cupcake at red velvet in the afternoon, a huge salad for first dinner, and then falafal with tahini dressing, a couple of cheese sticks and a big bowl of strawberries for second dinner when i got home.

i’m a lacto-vegetarian, in case you were wondering…

[KLizotte]

It was probably the humidity. If you had done the ride today you’d probably feel better. The body has to work twice as hard to keep itself cool when it is hot out. Yesterday was also pretty dreary and coma inducing if you ask me.

[jrenaut]

Are you licensed to carry concealed semi-aquatic mammals?

[ShawnoftheDread]

@maverick 26427 wrote:

i carry a platypus in a pannier, with an extension tube connected to it. for the morning commute, i forgot to clip the tube to my shirt, and the tube was dragging, with the bite valve touching the chain. fortunately, i had a green smoothie in my bag, and hydrated with that while i was riding to work in the morning. and i was able to get to the bike lane in reston town center once i got to work and buy a replacement bite valve. i

Don’t be afraid of a little chain grease. It toughens you up.

[Terpfan]

I get the same feeling, but it almost always coincides with when I ride to softball and imbibe some. The hot humid nights, tons of bugs, tired from chasing down balls, and the little bit of alcohol in you make each mile seem like three. But I enjoy the ride even with tiredness so I hack at it.

[PotomacCyclist]

More training and good nutrition will help as mentioned. I would just add that post-ride nutrition can be important for long rides, especially when you have pushed significantly farther than you’ve ridden before. It also depends on how intense you were riding.

Assuming that you rode for a long duration at a moderately hard intensity, you will burn through a good amount of your stored glycogen (energy supplies stored in your muscles and liver). The best time to replenish those energy stores is during the immediate post-workout phase, perhaps within 20-30 minutes after finishing your workout. This is one time when it can be good to take in some extra sugar. Your body will use that sugar to restore glycogen supplies. (At other times, any sugar that isn’t burned immediately will tend to stimulate an insulin response in the body, which results in the sugar getting converted to body fat.)

For short rides and easy rides, you don’t have to worry too much about glycogen replenishment. Those rides don’t burn that much glycogen. A regular, healthy diet will take care of glycogen replenishment in those cases.

Some recommend that post-workout nutrition include a carb-protein ratio of 3:1 (3 times as much carbohydrate as protein). You probably don’t need to be that precise, but a small amount of protein can help with carb absorption as well as with muscle repair. (Every tough workout results in microdamage to the muscles, which is a good thing as long as you don’t overdo it and you let your body recover. That recovery process results in a slightly greater fitness level.)

When you push into longer and harder workouts, you’ll probably get more hungry than usual, at first.

If you’ve ridden for a really long time (probably farther than 40 miles), then you’ll also want to have a regular meal within a couple hours after that initial post-workout recovery meal.

For regular meals, I try to include protein, fiber and complex carbs.

[maverick]

@PotomacCyclist 26443 wrote:

More training and good nutrition will help as mentioned. I would just add that post-ride nutrition can be important for long rides, especially when you have pushed significantly farther than you’ve ridden before. It also depends on how intense you were riding.

Assuming that you rode for a long duration at a moderately hard intensity, you will burn through a good amount of your stored glycogen (energy supplies stored in your muscles and liver). The best time to replenish those energy stores is during the immediate post-workout phase, perhaps within 20-30 minutes after finishing your workout. This is one time when it can be good to take in some extra sugar. Your body will use that sugar to restore glycogen supplies. (At other times, any sugar that isn’t burned immediately will tend to stimulate an insulin response in the body, which results in the sugar getting converted to body fat.)

For short rides and easy rides, you don’t have to worry too much about glycogen replenishment. Those rides don’t burn that much glycogen. A regular, healthy diet will take care of glycogen replenishment in those cases.

Some recommend that post-workout nutrition include a carb-protein ratio of 3:1 (3 times as much carbohydrate as protein). You probably don’t need to be that precise, but a small amount of protein can help with carb absorption as well as with muscle repair. (Every tough workout results in microdamage to the muscles, which is a good thing as long as you don’t overdo it and you let your body recover. That recovery process results in a slightly greater fitness level.)

When you push into longer and harder workouts, you’ll probably get more hungry than usual, at first.

If you’ve ridden for a really long time (probably farther than 40 miles), then you’ll also want to have a regular meal within a couple hours after that initial post-workout recovery meal.

For regular meals, I try to include protein, fiber and complex carbs.

wow – thanks PotomacCyclist!!

[maverick]

@KLizotte 26431 wrote:

It was probably the humidity. If you had done the ride today you’d probably feel better. The body has to work twice as hard to keep itself cool when it is hot out. Yesterday was also pretty dreary and coma inducing if you ask me.

today’s my work from home day, and i haven’t even stepped out of the house! okay, just stepped out – it is indeed really nice out there! i will get out for a ride in the evening, but just visiting some folks nearby.

[dasgeh]

@maverick 26417 wrote:

(mind you, i have a pedal assist system on my bike).

Depending on what system you have, and how you normally ride, you might consider upping the assist when you add miles, so you’re not adding much more work. (Not that I’m discouraging working up to more fitness, or any of the other great suggestions, it’s just a short term solution).

Also, can I just say my pregnant belly misses the days when feeling exhausted on a particular day can be tied to something specific I’ve done. Aside from getting knocked up, that is.

[maverick]

@dasgeh 26449 wrote:

Depending on what system you have, and how you normally ride, you might consider upping the assist when you add miles, so you’re not adding much more work. (Not that I’m discouraging working up to more fitness, or any of the other great suggestions, it’s just a short term solution).

i have a bionx pedal assist system, and i love it. generally, i ride harder on my way home, and the bionx does less – because i can get home and take a shower. also, the bionx only helps you up to 20mph, so again what the bionx does is limited.

on my way in to work in the morning, i let the bionx do more so that i don’t arrive too sweaty. so far, i’ve managed to get by with rinsing my head and face, re-applying deodorant, face cream, and changing my shirt when i get into the office. i also change my sandals, but that’s because i’d rather be wearing birkenstocks than anything else!

for my normal commute to work (25 miles round trip), i get by on one charge of the 48v bionx battery, with 3 bars on the battery left.

@dasgeh 26449 wrote:

Also, can I just say my pregnant belly misses the days when feeling exhausted on a particular day can be tied to something specific I’ve done. Aside from getting knocked up, that is.

ha! i love it!

[Author]

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